Steering device for motor-vehicles



W. THOMPSON AND W. E. ELAIVI.

STEERING DEVICE FOR IVIOTORl VEHICLES. APPLICATIONIILED IULY 24, 1917. .-RENEWED IAN.7.1920

1,332,313. l v Panted Mar.2,1920.

ATTORNEYS lill srennrne niivicn ron i/ioronvn'iiicnns.

" iesasis,

To all 'whom/t may concern:

Be it known that we, NILMAM L. liioiirsoN and 1lViLinmiii E. ELAM, citizens oit the United States, and residents of Greenville, in tlie'county of lllashington and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering Devices for Motorelehicles, of which the following is,

a specification.

Uur invention is an improvement in steering devices tor motor vehicles, and has for its object to provide mechanism in, connection,.with a .motor vehicle for permitting the vehicle to be steered forwardly or in the reverse with equal Jiiacility, and with the same movements of the steering wheel in either direction. Y y l A further object is to provide anew and improved dumping mechanism in connection with the motor vehicle operated by gravity to-dump, and restored by power, wherein Alatcliing mechanism is provided for the rear gate controlled by the movement oft the body into dumping or loading, position to open and close the latching niecli anism."

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle provided with therimprovement; Y v

AFig. 2 is a'section on the lin'e 242 oi Fig. 4.-;

Fig. 3 is a top plan;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the connection between the steering column and the steering mechanism.

The present embodiment ot the invention is shown in connection with a motor vehicle comprising a 'frame 1, a liront guiding wheel 2 and rear wheels. The front wheel has an aide or shaft 4 which is journaled in the arms 5 of a yoke, whose body has a journal 'pin C journaled in the trame, in order that the yoke may be swung on to guide the vehicle.

The wheels-,Bare arranged in pairs at opposite sides oit the vehicle, and each Apair carries an endless belt 71"., having treads 8, forming a caterpillar tread for the vehicle.

The vehicle, with the improved steering and dumpingl mechanism, Vis especially a vertical axis adapted for shuttle work without turning,

being moved inthe forward motion to loading position and in the reverse motion to dumping position, and the purpose of the invention is to permit the driver to guide the vehicle with the saine motion of the Speciaton of Letters Patent Patented Mar.. 2, i224). application filed July 2e, 1917, Serial No. 182,393. Renewed January 7, 1920.l

senin no. 35eme.

steering wheel iii either direction. ln order to permit this operation, the steering column 9 which is provided with the usual wheel 10 at its top,.l1as securedto the lower end thereof a bevel gear 11, and the said gear is mounted in a. sectional casing12. shaft 13 is journaled longitudinally ot the casing, and is extended at one end, as shown, l'orco'nnection with the operating mechanisin indicated at 14 forthe front wheel, and

thisshatt has stop collars l5 in the bearings in which itis mounted for preventing inovementof the same longitudinally oi' the casing. il sleeve 17 is feathered on the shaft, and this sleeve carries at its ends bevel gears 18 andvlS, respectively.v 'llhe'sleeve is ol such length that the bevel gears are spaced apart from each other a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the lbevel gear 11 so that only one ,of the bevel 18 or 18"L can engage thel bevel gear 11 opposite ydirections to engage either bevelgear 18 or `18a andthebevel gear 11.

The seat 20 of the vehicleis arranged in. such manner that the driver 'may look ahead with ease in whichever direction the vehicle may be moving, `and the wheel 10 is in front ot' the driver. When the vehicle is moving Titi forwardly, that is, to the right in Fig. S one i' of the bevel gears 18 or 18a, as the case may be, is connected to the bevel gear 11, and the driver steers in the usual manner, turning the wheel to the right to turn to the right and to the left to turn to the left. When the vehicle is reversed, he `moves the sleeve l? in the opposite direction, to disconnect the gear `v 18 or 18L already connected and to connect the other gear. 1KWhen now the vehicle moves in the reverse, the driver steers with the same motion that he has used, turning the wheel to the right to steer to the right and to the lett to steer to the left.

lwo speeds are provided for each direction of movement, the slot-s 21 and 22 indicat-ingthe low and high speed respectively for the forward motion, while the slots 23 and 24 indicate the low and high speeds, re-

spectively, for the reverse motion. rEhe cross slot betvveen the slots QL-22- and 23e-24:

' is a neutral position.

A dumping bed'is provided at the rear of the vehicle, the said bed being pivoted intermediate its ends, as indicated at 26, to the frame. This bed is arranged to dump by gravity, and is normally held in loading position by a latch not shown or by chains 27, and returned to loading position after dumping by chains 27 Which are connected at the rear ends to the door, as indicated at 28, and at their front ends Wound upon a roller (not shown) secured to a shaft 29 journaled in bearings 30 on the frame. These chains pass over pulleys 31 journaled on the bed at the front thereof, and it Will be obvious that When the front ends of the chains are dra-Wn'. downwardly the door vvill be closed and the bed will be moved into loading position and Will be held in such position. A gate or door 32 is provided for closing 'the rear end of the bed, and ay latch -is provided in connection With the door for.

holding the door closed When the bed is in loading position and for permitting the door to open when the-bed is in dumping position. The said mechanism comprises bell cranks 33 pivoted to the bed at the rear thereof, each lever having on one arm a catch 34 for engaging a catch on the gate to hold the gate closed. The other arm of eachplevei" is"connected by a Vlink 35 with an to loading position automatically closes the f latches 33.

We claim Wheel and the means for steering the vehicle, of a connection between the column and the said steering means, said connection being reversible to permit the steering Wheel moving in the same direction t0 operate the steering means in the opposite direction, and a seat arranged laterally with respect to the steering Wheel for permitting the driver to face in either direction while controlling the WILLIAM LovE fri-rom?soul'-4 WULIAM. lmiami ELAM.

. ,'4'5, In a-motor vehicle, the combination With the steering column having the steering 

